Documents & Dictionaries

Last Major Update August 27th 2015.

Last Minor Update: —

*Important Note on File Sizes: The two full dictionaries linked here below are very large .pdf files (over100MB each) and as such might be very challenging to work with for some computers. For this reason a compressed version of these has been made available (4 pages per page), that makes searching for content easier and faster.

Alternatively you can download the Neo-Khuzdul Translation Tool (in MS Excel). This tool allows the user to translate lines from English into Neo-Khuzdul, including phonetic and cirth script. Further info on this tool can be found HERE.

I was looking around your wonderful site. I’ve a few questions. I’ve never had foreign language instruction (no, the high school I went to did not offer it). I’ve started looking at the ancillary materials before I hit the lessons. Is there a specific way I should be doing this as I start with the lessons? Is there a website or chat group or something that I can practice with? I’d like to learn it just for the fun of it and this looks like an excellent place to start.

I see that there is a mailing list also. What sort of stuff does that have? Should I ask to sign up for that as well? I am curious.

Thank you so much for taking the time to do all of this work. It must have taken you forever!

Thank you! I don’t really know what I’m doing. Unfortunately, the school I went to back in the day didn’t offer a foreign language. I’m rather clueless with what I’m doing. Do you know if folks have put together online study groups? I think that might help in just trying to write the language out. I am sure my pronunciation is horrid.

This is the MOST GORGEOUS set of language documents. Thanks feels so paltry next to so much extensive work, but THANK YOU. I am so ridiculously excited to dive into everything, and the work and time you have dedicated to this is awe-inspiring. Thank you!

Just want to let you know that on the Separate Support Documents numbers 5 & 20 are missing (each linking to documents 6 & 21 respectively instead).

Now excuse me while I go revel in your work. 🙂 Did I mention *thank you* yet? Because really this is, in a word, glorious.

Thank you. Ah, yes, I noticed that just now too. When I get back home later this evening I’ll see to correct those links. In my defence, it was 4am when I posted those links, after working the whole night to finish them 🙂

Absolutely no defense needed. I think it’s one of Murphy’s Laws that when one uploads new material, invariably something will go wrong. Usually ten somethings, so two broken links is coming out on top of the game. 😉

Thank you again, by the way! Your work is genuinely inspiring and so incredible!

The type details for most of these noun types are explained in Doc04 (example: CeCaC – related to hand tools or instruments). As for the 9 miscellaneous types, they are usually not bound to one word function. Most are typical forms seen in specific regions or specific eras, yet that have become mainstream khuzdul – example: Misc 9 Quenyanism – uCCuC – uslukh – from Quenya (h)lókë.

Thank you so much:) You saved from raging reviewers.
This is a wonderful collection. And finally a pronounceable one.^^
I think I will be using your work heavily to improve my writing.
Thank you so much!

I haven’t planned on creating such a document, but your question is a valid one and might indeed need a bit of clarification, so I will see to add a document about it in future (or update the have/to be document). To answer your question though, it is important to make the distinction between translating “I will be.” and “I will be VERB-ing” (example: I will be writing). When another verb is involved you would be using the future marker “za-“, usually with the imperfect tense. Making it “zâzrabi” (“I will be writing” = za+azrabi). When no other verb is involved. For instance, someone asks you “will you be writing?”. In English you would positively respond by saying “I will be”, yet in neo-khuzdul you would positively respond by saying “I will be writing” (you would not omit the verb as you would in English). And finally, when combining “I will be” with an adjective. For instance: “I will be happy”. You would indeed use the irregular “kasat” and add the future marker “za-“. In our example this would make: “zakasatmi gêdul” (I will be happy).

Hi, first off I wanted say thank you so much for your dedication to this project! I remember using the old copies of the documents and there was a rule for placing adjectives before/after the related noun, but I didn’t see anything in the Noun Type document. Am I remembering wrong, or did I just overlook something? Thanks again!

I do not have such a version unfortunately, nor do I have plans to put something along those lines online.
Though I will see (in the weeks to come) to publish an excel with all entries and a search function that should allow for an easier way of finding specific words.

Yes, there are quite a few of those in the dictionary (cakes, sausages, several types of ale, etc…), even some strange dwarvish dishes (makarbulgaihu or nimashab come to mind). Cookware would be “belag” (BLG = radicals for food / CeCaC = structure used for words related to tools = “belag” = “food-tools (cook-ware). Though I believe that might need to be added still. I’ll make a note of that and add that and other food related tools to the dictionary at the next update.

This gotta be one of the most amazing things I’ve seen in my life. I’m pretty familiar with elvish, since I write a lot of LotR (even if I’ve published little thus far), and have researched much on that. But it was until recently that I got more interested n Dwarvish… and Oh my… How fortunate must I be that I found your page first! You’ve definitely saved me (and my readers).

I saw that you have a translation of Ed Sheeran’s song. The translation is Neo-Khuzdul, but I was wondering if there is a Angerthas Moria/Angerthas Erebor translation (like in the dictionary). That would be very cool!

Unfortunately I never converted the neo-khuzdul lyrics of this song to any runic alphabet, nor do I have any concrete plans to do so any time soon. You can of course (if you would wish to do so) attempt it yourself, using either the dictionaries or the document on alphabet.

i’m a little confused with the verbs, verbs that are difficult and not very common are fully explained in your document “7 kinds of verbs” yet more common verbs like for example “to give” are not in it, is there a special reason for this or another way for me to translate it?

Apologies for the late reply on this, just now notice that it was left unanswered. The reason that some verbs are not listed in the document is rather random i’m afraid, I might update this later. But the verb to give is a normal AA-type “Khajama” (KhJM).

Hello there! I recently came across your blog; such wonderful work! I was wondering if i might ask you a few clarification questions about the Cirth writing system(s), especially concerning the Erebor mode. I had multiple questions, and didn’t want to choke your comments section with them. Would you consider giving me an e-mail address so that i could contact you? Thank you!

Hi! I’m new to this site and to the learning of the Khuzdul language. I find it all fascinating and I cannot believe there is a site that actually teaches it!!! Thank you for creating all of this 🙂 I do have one question though. Are there separate documents for each of the lessons? I’m confused on where to find them. Thanks again!

Is there a plan to put out a pdf of common phrases, like curses, terms of endearment, things like that? Because as a writer that would be absolutely indispensable to me! Love the blog and look forward to learning the language as well as I know Quenya!!

Actually yes, there are plans for that. In fact I’ve already started with that at the request of a friend. It’s far from finished and will only be released once the material for the next few lessons is out there, but it will be posted here, just a matter of time.

I’m sorry if this is out of place, but may I ask how one would form a word or sentence that says “with a”
Such as “lady with a smith-hammer”
“man with a forge”
etc etc?
I’m not very good with English sentence structure terminology so I couldn’t find the right resource for it.

Hello there,
I guess I can’t please everyone 🙂 The reason I’ve used dropbox is merely to make it convenient and free for all. Most other services charge.
Besides it is convenient for me as well to update.
Unfortunately I’m not sending these via email (they would just be too big).

I truly appreciate the work you’ve put into all of these support documents. Would you be at all willing to translate either the Neil Finn version or original Tolkien version of the Song of the Lonely Mountain/Misty Mountains?
Thanks!

This is absolutely spectacular, and I am generally in awe of your hard work and dedication. Thank you, thank you so much! I have been lost in your work for weeks now, and I admire you wholeheartedly for your passion and commitment to all things Dwarven.

I have a quick question: I have been trying to find words that would most likely be used specifically by Dwarf *women* in their lives – such as husband, daughter of (as opposed to ‘son of’), pregnancy, pregnant, queen, that sort of thing. It appears that no such words exist? Or not yet? Or they won’t be included due to comparative rarity of Dwarf women? (this is not a hurry-up or an attempt to lay on pressure, just a query!)

Thank you for those kind words.
In fact most of those words (if not all) do exists in the current dictionary, yet are often a second meaning of another word (hence might not always be listed).
An update of the dictionary will soon be available (including an easy search tool). I will see to it that these words are added.
Though one note: “daughter of” is already mentioned in the current dictionary. You either use …+ul (like you would with sons), or use “nâthu” if used not in combination of a name (for instance “daughter of the guard”).

This is amazing, thank you so much for all your hard work. However, I noticed the support documents don’t have any information on Neo-Khuzdul prepositions. Is this something which is still to be added?

This is actually extremely hard! I’m kinda giggling at myself because I thought this was going to be easy! But reading all the noun, plural, adjective rules I’m sitting here like. “Wait…. what was that again? Is this a plural? Oh wait plural is referring to more than one person. That’s a noun.” Man you’ve scrambled my brain!

I’m not an rp’er, I’m more of a fanfictionist, so believe me when I say I want to look up how to say a couple / several lines for future reference and I end up sitting here for almost an hour in a half just to figure out how to make Kili say “Fili, brother I’m cold.” and end up with “Fili, nadad e iklal.” or ”Fili, e iklal nadad” and still feel like I’m completely wrong it is beyond frustrating! Head desk man, head desk! It’s like me and trying to be taught Spanish all over again!

I saw that there’s an email address attached to the pdf file, I wanted to know if you can still be contacted there, because I have loads of questions and I hate to seem like a question spam machine!

Apart from “sons of Durin”, there is very little I can clearly understand in the shouts. I’ve attempted many times to listen to it, but it simply seems to unclear to make anything out with any certainty.

Hi I’m a Sindarin learner trying to find a Kuzdûl last name for a friend (who insists on being a dwarf) and I’m not sure this is the best place to ask a question (this site works a tad different than the one I’m used to) but here I am! I was looking for something meaning “dragon-slayer” and I found dragon = uslukh in your dictionary but I didn’t find anything meaning to slay… also I have no idea how dwarves do names (aside from the fact that their outer names are Old Norse) like if they use some kind of mutation or if they just slam the two words together.

I had a friend send me your insult list, when I was having trouble downloading the dictionary, I got it downloaded this morning. Love both. I wanted to ask is there a way of adding a basic table of contents to the dictionary? As in being able to go to the first letter of the word rather than having to go through page by page or jump ahead or back trying to get to the right letter?

Also would you use for the Archenstone: Mesumel Azbad or Mesumel Azbadul? Or would I flip it back around with Azbad/Azbadul first?

If your computer is having issues working with the large PDF files I suggest you use the Neo-Khuzdul Translation Tool (in excel – available HERE via dropbox). This way you can easily search for words. Not only will it be a lot quicker but it also provides some functionality to create your own lines. The arkenstone would be “Raklaban” in Neo-Khuzdul (a word that will be added in next version of the dictionary).

Hi! Even the compressed version of the English – Neo-Khuzdul dictionary makes my computer lag (same for some of my friends) and I wondered if it was possible to make a pdf file for each letter of the alphabet? Like a file with all words that start with A in english and so on. Its just a suggestion because the files are really large in number of pages and its a pain to scroll through and search, especially if its so laggy and heavy on the computer.

Hi there! You’ve done an absolutely wonderful job here and have been such a huge help to so many people, myself included. I just have a question when it comes to the word sister though. I’ve looked through your Neo-Khuzdul dictionary and have found all of your definitions for sister, but there isn’t one for blood sister. I’ve seen some people use namad for sister, would you say that would be the proper Khuzdul word to use when describing a blood sister?

Hebrew has a lot of wordplay based on permuting the letters in the triconsonantal roots (e.g. Ezekiel talks about cherubim [krb/qrb] at the river Chebar [kbr] with faces like lightning [brq]). I made a list of all the bi- and triconsonantal roots and their translations and grouped them by permutation equivalence.

Thank you Libbie.
Though one could argue that the Ainur and Maiar were angelic beings, I believe the concept as seen in Middle Earth is not entirely alike to that of the bible, hence finding a word for “angel” isn’t as easy as it may seem at first. Perhaps ‘ilgan is a fitting word (though not exactly the same meaning, meaning “lesser god”). If you mean a person who is like an angel (as in looks or behavior) then “gulkhûn” (m) or “gulkhûna” (f) meaning he or she that is kind (“kind-one”. I hope that answers you question.

The word “angel” in Greek is literally “messenger”; in the Old Testament, the word is malach, as in the prophet “Malachi”, literally “my angel” or “my messenger”. The word “evangelist” comes from “eu-” = “good” + “angel” = “message, news”: “I bring you good tidings of great joy”.

Jesus does some fun wordplay with that in the sermon on the mount, where he says that his disciples or messengers “malach” are as the salt “malak” of the earth, with their message from the King “melek”: if they don’t go share the message, they’re as salt that has lost its savor.

So the most literal translation of “angel” into Khuzdul is probably “mananâl”, “He/She that is a messenger”, from the root MNN.

Superb work, but the format you used to distribute the dictionary makes searching through it tedious. Such a large database of words would be easier to comb through with a, well, database system like SQL. Even just distributing the list of words as CSV would make things easier, since you can do whatever you want with the data yourself :). Is that something you would consider ?
The Excel sheet is very slow for the same reason. I believe using a database (there’s Microsoft Access if you want to stick to Office) would make it much faster.

In any case, I have unbounded respect for what you did here. The quantity and quality of the words is astonishing.

I took a language course in middle school, and honestly, this looks much easier than trying to learn Korean in four weeks. this will also help with being more accurate in my writing. I’m sure it must have taken you forever to do all of this.

I have one teeeny question, and I’m sure I probably simply missed it the first look, but is there a translation for ‘Father’? I’ve always heard it was Adad, but it’s never quite seemed right…